MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST – The Mendocino National Forest is seeking qualified applicants to fill temporary, full-time fire positions for the 2017 season.

The vacancy announcement is open through May 18.

These are forestry technician positions for fire crew members within the fire management organization. The grades range from GS-03 to GS-05. The number and location of positions to be filled is determined by individual unit needs.

The work locations include Covelo, Elk Creek, Paskenta, Stonyford and Upper Lake. 

Vacancy announcements are posted on the USAJOBS Web site.

Applicants can find contact information for each duty station within the vacancy announcement.

The only one of California's 18 national forests not crossed by a paved road or highway, the Mendocino National Forest offers nearly one million acres and is especially attractive to people seeking an outdoor experience of tranquility and solitude.

Elevations in the forest range from 750 feet in the Grindstone Creek Canyon in the Sacramento Valley foothills on the forest's eastern edge to the 8,092 feet of South Yolla Bolly Mountain in the northern part.

The vacancy announcement flier is posted on the forest Web site at http://www.tinyurl.com/mcs4jy9 .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake VA Medical Clinic will hold a special remembrance service for veterans who recently have died who were in its care on Thursday, May 18.

The service will take place from noon to 1 p.m. at the clinic, 15145 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake.

Families and friends of veterans who have recently passed and were cared for by programs within the Clearlake Community Based Outpatient Clinic are invited to attend.

The short program will include music, guest speakers and a reading of each veteran’s name.

All will be invited to share stories and memories of their loved ones as well.

Light refreshments will follow the service.

For more information contact Tia DeLong, acting administrative officer for the Clearlake facility, at 707-995-7235.

SACRAMENTO – Expanding on her proposed reforms to the State Board of Equalization, or BOE, California State Controller Betty T. Yee on Monday announced plans to establish a board governance policy.

She will introduce a draft policy at the May 23 BOE meeting in Sacramento.

“Clearly, a governance policy is urgently needed to create board member oversight, accountability, and efficiency,” said Controller Yee, the state’s chief fiscal officer and ex-officio member of BOE. “While I continue to work with the legislature and the governor to craft comprehensive BOE reforms, a new governance policy will help guide the board towards more ethical decision-making.”

In November 2015, the Controller’s review of BOE accounting and administrative controls showed the agency had misallocated $47.8 million in sales tax revenue, among other widespread deficiencies. The review’s recommended reforms have not been fully implemented.

The California Department of Finance released their own evaluation in March, raising additional concerns about the challenges BOE staff face in carrying out the agency’s mission.

In response, the controller immediately called for major reform including stripping board members of all statutory functions and permanently moving these duties to a separate new department under the governor. BOE would be relieved of their tax administration, audit, and compliance functions under Controller Yee’s proposal.

Due to ongoing issues, on April 13 Gov. Brown notified BOE that its delegated authority for personnel, contracting, and technology is indefinitely suspended. Brown called on legislative leaders to identify and enact changes by June 2017 to address the problems at BOE.

BOE was established by a state constitutional amendment in 1879 to ensure uniformity of property tax assessments throughout California.

Today, the five-member board collects the retail sales and use tax, property taxes, and special taxes, as well as handling appeals of Franchise Tax Board cases.

As the chief fiscal officer of California, Controller Yee is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources. The controller also safeguards many types of property until claimed by the rightful owners, and has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds.

She is a member of numerous financing authorities, and fiscal and financial oversight entities including the Franchise Tax Board. She also serves on the boards for the nation's two largest public pension funds.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The seventh annual VA2K Walk and Roll will be held at the Clearlake VA Medical Clinic on Wednesday, May 17.

Registration will take place at 4 p.m. with the walk beginning at 4:45 p.m.

The event is dedicated to supporting homeless veterans while also encouraging healthy activity.

It is held in conjunction with National Employee Health Day.

The event is free and open to the general public.

Donations of shirts, shorts and personal hygiene items for homeless veterans will be accepted.

The clinic is located at 15145 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake.

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – The Mendocino National Forest is seeking input on the development of the Black Butte River and Cold Creek Comprehensive River Management Plan, or CRMP.

Public input will help determine how best to manage the river into the future.

The Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act (PL 109-362) of 2006 designated the Black Butte and Cold Creek as Wild and Scenic River Segments.

A CRMP is required by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 for each segment to provide for the protection of the river values.

The CRMP will focus on protecting the river’s free-flowing condition and water quality as well as the outstanding remarkable values and classification for which the river was designated.

Details on the river segments and the scoping letter are available on the project website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=50351 or by contacting the project lead, Hilda Kwan, district hydrologist, 10025 Elk Mountain Rd., Upper Lake, CA 95458, (707) 275-1413, or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Input will be used to identify issues and opportunities in the development of the CRMP. It would be most helpful to receive comments by the close of business May 25.

Comments may be submitted in the following ways:

· Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (include “Black Butte River and Cold Creek CRMP”) in the subject line,

· Mail: Frank Aebly, Upper Lake district ranger, Mendocino National Forest, USDA Forest Service, Attn: Black Butte River and Cold Creek CRMP, 10025 Elk Mountain Rd., Upper Lake, CA 95458,

· Fax: 707-275-0676; or

· In person at the Upper Lake ranger district office during business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 8-8 of Lake County will hold its annual complimentary life jacket giveaway for children on Sunday, May 21.

The giveaway will start at 9:30 a.m. at the Redbud Park gazebo in Clearlake.

This life jacket giveaway is a project made possible by a grant from the local Walmart in Clearlake. 

The event will include the weighing, fitting and distribution of the jackets for children 12 years of age or younger.

A parent or guardian must accompany the child and complete an information slip to be eligible to receive the free life jacket.

The event will end at 1 p.m. or whenever the supply of life jackets are gone.

On the same day, the flotilla will also hold a complimentary vessel safety check for boat owners and will be held at the Redbud Marina staring s 9:30 a.m.

Boats can be on a trailer or in the water at the docks. This vessel safety check is free of charge and takes only a few minutes to complete.

Redbud Park and Marina is located at 14655 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake.

Flotilla 8-8 encourages boat owners and especially those with children to stay safe on the water by utilizing these complimentary services offered. Play it safe and wear your life jacket.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. – On Thursday, April 27, community members, business leaders, and guests joined the American Red Cross of the California Northwest in honoring 15 inspirational community members for their selfless acts of courage at its 14th annual Real Heroes Breakfast.

The event took place at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel in Santa Rosa, CA and raised $138,000 to benefit the American Red Cross.

The event sponsors included American AgCredit, Wells Fargo Bank, Jackson Family Wines, PG&E, St. Joseph Health System, Kaiser Permanente, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Silver Oak/Twomey Cellars, Sonoma Raceway, UnionBank, Camelbak, Eye Care Institute, Keysight Technologies, Redwood Credit Union, Sutter Health, Biagi Brothers Trucking, Steve Countouriotis, Veronica Ferguson, Lagunitas Brewing, Mary’s Pizza Shack, Reach Air Medical Service, and Verihealth.

The Real Heroes Breakfast is a signature event for the local Red Cross chapter, in benefit of the numerous lifesaving programs and services the chapter provides in support of nearly 1 million people in that area.

After careful consideration, a committee of local community leaders selected the 2017 California Northwest Red Cross Hero Award recipients based on the degree to which their heroic actions have benefited their communities and upheld the values of the American Red Cross.

The following individuals were honored at this year’s banquet.

Act of Courage Hero: Jose Martin

Jose Martin, a 27-year veteran volunteer of the St. Helena Fire Department and professional firefighter in American Canyon for the last 13 years, demonstrated extraordinary courage when he put his life in danger to help three victims of a fatal car crash off Interstate 10 last November.

Against instruction to stay away from the vehicle due to a fire in the engine, Martin valiantly removed David Collins and Betty Burns from the burning vehicle.

With the help of his family, the fire was put out, and Martin began to tend to the injured passengers. Delaine and David Collins both suffered critical injuries, and unfortunately, 94-year-old Betty Burns was later pronounced dead by paramedics.

Despite the loss of his aunt, David Collins wrote a letter to Mayor Alan Galbraith praising Martin’s heroism for helping them that day.

Animal Hero: Shirley Zindler

Shirley Zindler has always been an animal lover. Following her passion for animal care, she has been an animal control officer with Sonoma County Animal Shelter for15 years. Responding to encouragement from her family and friends, she founded Dogwood Animal Rescue a year ago.

Zindler and her team of volunteers offer low and no cost spay and neuter services, provide medical and rehabilitation, and new homes for many pets.

She is connected with various Animal Control locations throughout Northern California and Southern California to support their needs of rehoming the numerous pets that come through their doors when they are unable to accommodate them.

Zindler compliments her work with various other volunteer commitments and activities to raise money for animal wellness.

Education Hero: Lee Morgan Brown

Lee Morgan Brown is executive director of Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, which pairs together adults with kids in the community who need an extra layer of social and emotional support.

SVMA began 20 years ago in one school in Sonoma and today, under Brown’s leadership, the program is now present on eight school campuses, as well as at the Hanna Boys School, and serves 450 students with 100 more on the waiting list.

Once students are matched with an adult, they typically meet once per week for at least an hour. Since the program’s start, 1,700 mentors and mentees have been matched in all.

Environment Hero: Alden Olmsted

Alden Olmsted has dedicated much of the last several years to raise funds to complete the Across California hiking trail.

The Across California Trail will be the second longest trail in California, stretching over 300 miles from Mendocino to Lake Tahoe. This trail is vital to environmental preservation because it will link many of the protected areas in California.

Olmsted has focused on creating a continuous trail with plenty of signage and public awareness to ensure the land is preserved for future generations.

Also a photographer, Olmsted spearheaded the installation of an interpretive panel at Jug Handle State Natural Reserve as well as The Pygmy Forest, which received Congressional recognition as a National Natural Landmark.

Humanitarian Adult Hero: Jeff Gilman

Jeff Gilman, executive director of Redwood Gospel Mission, is the silent strength behind one of Sonoma County’s biggest and most appreciated charity event, the Great Thanksgiving Banquet.

Beginning as a 14-bed shelter in 1963, Redwood Gospel Mission now mobilizes the community to minister to the needy through a variety of homeless services, recovery programs, vocational training, jail ministries, outreach events, and thrift store.

Redwood Gospel Mission’s annual Great Thanksgiving Banquet served over 5,000 poor and homeless people this year.

Humanitarian Youth Heroes: Brice Marcuz, Jack Marcuz and Gunter Kison

Approximately 6 a.m. on Dec. 22, 16-year-old Brice Marcuz, his 13-year-old brother Jack, and 17-year-old Gunter Kison launched their boat into Stone Lagoon, just south of Orick to go duck hunting.

Shortly after leaving shore, they came upon a capsized boat with three teenage boys on top of the overturned boat, which had hit a three-foot wave sideways and flipped.

The boys rescued all three stranded teenagers, took them to safety and called 911 for rescue help.

If these three boys had not acted so heroically that morning, the three in the water might not have survived this admittedly frightening boating accident.

Law Enforcement Heroes: Sergeant Jason Bahlman, Matthew Barawed, Dan Russo, Dan Mitchell

Marin CHP Officers Dan Russo and Dan Mitchell pulled onto the freeway in Terra Linda during a night of regular patrol when they immediately spotted a car weaving between lanes and tailgating.

Sonoma County Sgt. Jason Bahlman, received the call for assistance and he and Officer Matthew Barawed moved into action.

After multiple attempts to stop the vehicle, the car finally came to a halt on Cotati grade after the car’s tires were shredded by spike strips.

The vehicle ignited and burst into flames as Jason noticed there were two small children in the backseat.

The officers were able to successfully rescue all of the passengers following their instincts to help those in danger.

Medical Hero: Erin Morales

Erin Morales is manager at La Cantera Racquet and Swim Club in Santa Rosa.

In August of 2016, Richard Allen suffered a cardiac arrest while playing tennis. Because of her decision to purchase an automated external defibrillator for the club years before, Morales was able to use the machine to deliver a powerful electric jolt and restart Allen’s heart.

After administering the shock, the response was immediate. The man who was silent and motionless one minute was now conscious and asking “Why am I on the ground?”

Morales’ quick action had undoubtedly saved his life. “I did not need to be helpless. I could take action,” she said.

Military Hero: Akash Kalia

Kalia left college in Oregon where he was studying business, taking over his parents’ struggling motel in Santa Rosa.

While working at the motel, he saw a need in the community for low-cost housing. He encountered veterans, addicts, homeless convicts, and families that could not afford rent in the area.

Kalia converted all 104 rooms of what is now known as the Palms Inn into single occupancy housing for 60 veterans and other vulnerable homeless people.

With help from local agencies and charities, the hotel complex includes not only living quarters, but a garden and library where residents can enjoy reading materials, poetry and music classes, and participate in support group sessions.

Kalia defers any honor from himself as he insists it is the veterans he houses that are the heroes.

Rescue Professional Hero: Aaron Pendergraft

Aaron Pendergraft is a seasonal lifeguard for California State Parks and volunteer firefighter/emergency medic for Bodega Fire.

Pendergraft was on patrol one November day near Goat Rock Beach when he saw an unpredictable wave crash and pull out three members of the Viola family.

From a distance, Pendergraft had seen the set moving in and jumped in his vehicle, racing across the sand to where the family was now in trouble.

He fought the strong waves to get to where he saw 7-year-old Angeleek who had vanished in the churning surf.

After multiple attempts, Pendergraft was able to reach the girl safely and guided the girl’s mother, Amanda, toward him where the three were lifted out of the water by County Sheriff’s helicopter crew.

Pendergraft was awarded the Medal of Valor from the United States Lifesaving Association for his heroic effort.

For more information, visit www.redcross.org/calnw or call 1-707-577-7600.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport Christian Center announces several educational opportunities coming up at its facility in May and June.

The “War Room Bible Study” will take place at 10:30 a.m. Thursdays for six weeks beginning on May 18 in the Hope Café at the church. The study is facilitated by Irene Fox.

The New Discovery Group will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays in the Hope Café entitled for a study entitled “Living Life with a Purpose" based on Rick Warren's book, "What on Earth Am I Here For?"

The Lakeport Christian Center Preschool Summer Program takes place from June 19 through Aug. 25 for ages 2 to 6. It is available Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Themes are health and safety, camping, beach, space and much more.

Lakeport Christian Center is located at 455 S. Forbes St. in Lakeport, telephone 707-263-4514.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Sierra Club Lake Group will feature a presentation on invasive mussels at its upcoming meeting on Wednesday, May 17.

The group will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Lower Lake Methodist Church social hall, 16255 Second St.

As always, the meeting is free and the public is invited.

Mark Miller, who coordinates the Lake County Department of Water Resources mussel prevention program, will discuss the measures being taken to strengthen protections against invasive mussels, measures that go beyond outreach to include both decontamination facilities and a crew of dock walkers.

An infestation of invasive quagga or zebra mussels would be just as devastating to the ecology of Clear Lake and the economy of Lake County as ever, but the subject seems to have fallen beneath the radar for the last couple of years.

That does not mean that the county has forgotten about this threat, much less reduced its vigilance.

Contact chair Ed Robey at 707-994-8304 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.